


23 Days

by Misagi



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, De-Aged Merlin, Fluff, M/M, Magic Reveal, arthur has to look after him, merlin is a little kid, some angst i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-24 19:17:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6163743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misagi/pseuds/Misagi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur was woken by the sound of crying. He shot up in bed and blinked his eyes a few times, his chambers were almost pitch black except for the faint orange glow of the embers in the fireplace. As his eyes adjusted he saw a small figure huddled near the fire, their tears were quiet but he quickly realised it was a child.</p><p>                                                                   ~~~~~~~~</p><p>"Tell me your name at least?"  </p><p>Arthur could see the boy hesitate before he looked back up at Arthur with a small smile on his face, as if he was proud of his name. "Merlin. I'm Merlin."</p><p>~~~~</p><p>Merlin has been put under a spell, resulting in him ending up as his 4 year old self. Arthur has to figure out a way to not only reverse the spell, but look after the child and keep him out of trouble. Which, Arthur quickly finds out, is not as easy as it seems. Trouble seems to follow little Merlin like a magnet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, i know i have another story going but this idea won't leave me alone  
> it's not brilliant but i hope you enjoy it! just a short chapter to begin with to gather the response and see if it's worth continuing ~ thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, i'm playing with timelines and ages etc here, it's not going to follow the show in that sense (if that makes sense...probably not)

Arthur was woken by the sound of crying. He shot up in bed and blinked his eyes a few times, his chambers were almost pitch black except for the faint orange glow of the embers in the fireplace. As his eyes adjusted he saw a small figure huddled near the fire, their tears were quiet but he quickly realised it was a child. He slowly climbed from his bed so as not to startle them but as his feet touched the stone floor, the crying stopped and silence swept across his chambers. The King held his breath and was about to take another step when the child uncurled and suddenly began to wail. Arthur could only stare for a second before he rushed forward and knelt in front of the child. Before he could get a word out the child caught sight of Arthur and even in the dim light Arthur could see the piercing blue eyes. 

The wailing stopped and the child looked at him, tear tracks shining on the slightly plump cheeks, bottom lip wobbling like they were about to burst into tears again. It wasn’t until Arthur carefully moved a little closer that he saw the child was a boy, he could be no older than 4 summers and although his cheeks were plump in a way only a child's could be, he was obviously too thin. The boy watched him carefully and Arthur couldn't help but feel like he knew him, his face was strangely familiar but he couldn't place it, the light was too dull to properly make out features. The King sank to the floor to sit properly and only then did he notice how the boy was drowning in clothes far too big for him, clothes that also looked eerily familiar. 

He opened his mouth to ask a question when the child shot forwards and threw himself into Arthur's lap, wrapping his small arms around Arthur's torso. The blonde almost fell back with the force and instinctively reached round to hold the boy. There was a moment's pause before he felt the small body in his arms begin to tremble and big blue eyes looked up at him under a mop of dark hair. "Where's mummy?" 

Arthur felt his eyebrows pull into a small frown and he shook his head slightly. "Where are you from?" 

The boy sniffed and wiped his nose on the oversized sleeve, looking back down. "Mummy said I shouldn't talk to strange people." 

Arthur bit the inside of his cheek and chose not to take offence at being called strange. "Tell me your name at least?" 

Arthur could see the boy hesitate before he looked back up at Arthur with a small smile on his face, as if he was proud of his name. "Merlin. I'm Merlin. My mummy said that merlin birds are her fave..faver..." He trailed off, struggling with the word, but Arthur was no longer listening. He stared dumbly down at the boy. It couldn't be. There was no way this was his Merlin. The blonde's eyes searched the face still looking up at him and talking but none of the words were going in. The eyes, the hair, the face, the clothes that were far too big. 

"Merlin." The child stopped talking and blinked up at Arthur. "You're Merlin."


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin climbed from Arthur's lap and stood in front of him, the tunic he wore slipping down one shoulder. "I said that." Arthur couldn't help but smile at the slightly petulant tone but he quickly realised something. Why was Merlin a child? Why was he even in his chambers so late at night? And what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't run his kingdom and look after a child at the same time, he had too many duties to perform. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, only to pause when he saw Merlin sigh and copy him, running his small hand through his mop of black hair. The blonde frowned a little and Merlin copied.

"What are you doing, Merlin?" 

"What are you doing, Merlin?" 

"Stop that." 

"Stop that." 

Arthur took a deep breath and as Merlin's little chest puffed out in imitation, the King suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Merlin, pulling him towards him and tickling his sides. The child screeched and wriggled in his arms, laughing hysterically as his sides were attacked. The sound of Merlin's laughter rang through the room and Arthur couldn't help but laugh along with him, but then he paused, starting to wonder. After all this noise, shouldn't the guards have come running by now? Or at least checked up on him to make sure everything was okay. He picked Merlin up, holding him close to his chest. The boy stopped laughing and looked up at Arthur with curiosity. The King put his finger to his lips and slowly got up from the floor. 

As Arthur got to he chamber door, Merlin pressed himself closer to Arthur and began to tremble, though whether from the cold or fear Arthur wasn't sure. Merlin's small arms wrapped around his neck as he buried his head into Arthur's shoulder, the King adjusted his grip on the child before reaching out to the door. He pulled it open slowly and peered out into the hallway. Not two feet from him he saw one of the guards out cold on the floor. He gasped and stepped back into his chambers, shutting the door as quietly as he could. Whoever had done this to Merlin was obviously still there, somewhere close.

He scanned his room for somewhere to hide Merlin when his eyes landed on his wardrobe, he practically ran over and opened the doors, placing a resisting Merlin inside. The small hands gripped his night shirt as he tried to pull away. "Merlin, listen to me. I need you to hide here, okay? Don't come out until I come back to get you." 

Merlin frantically shook his head and gripped harder. "Don't go." 

Arthur could just make out tears threatening to spill, he reached up to put his hands over Merlin's. "I'll be right back." Merlin shook his head again and Arthur felt terrible but he couldn't bring Merlin with him, not if it was putting him in more danger. "I promise I'll come back." 

Merlin's bottom lip wobbled and his hands slowly relaxed, he sank back into the wardrobe and curled himself into a ball, his arms around his knees. "I'm scared of the dark. Mummy lets me have a light." Arthur hesitated, he couldn't let Merlin have a flame in the wardrobe, he might end up setting it all on fire. "Mummy said I should keep it a secret." 

Arthur frowned at the sudden change in subject. "What do you mean, Merlin?" 

Merlin was about to reply when Arthur heard a sound from the hallway, he reached out and covered Merlin's mouth to stop anything he was about to say. He leaned closer and whispered, "Stay here." He glanced down and saw the child nod, he slowly moved his hand away, an apologetic look on his face as he rose to his feet and closed the door. 

The King crept across his chambers to get his sword before going to stand by the door, sword held firmly in his hands. He held his breath, listening for any other sounds. He slowly reached out and pulled the door open slightly, his vision was limited but it also meant he could hear a little better. He strained his hearing and there were definitely footsteps getting closer, he swallowed hard and waited until the footsteps sounded close enough before yanking open the door and jumping out, his sword already arching through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh guys! I can't believe the response i got to this already!!!  
> it's amazing, thank you so much!  
> i'm so happy that you liked it!! 
> 
> it's definitely given me the motivation i needed to get this story going properly, i have the next few chapters written already and i'm hoping to be updating at least once a week, if not twice
> 
> thank you so much to everyone who's read, commented, left kudos, bookmarked! i honestly didn't expect such a good response, so i just hope you like where i go with this story  
> i'm not sure on how long this is going to be but i hope you enjoy it ^^
> 
> please continue to comment/leave kudos, i love to see them!
> 
> i'm also hoping from here the chapters will start getting a bit longer, i'm sorry they're so short at the moment


	3. Chapter 3

His arms jarred as it clashed with another sword but he held firm and pushed the other person away, taking a step back himself. He couldn't get a proper look at the person, they wore a long cloak with the hood covering their face. They raised their sword and Arthur found it an easy fight, whoever they were, they weren't trained with a sword. He swept his sword upwards, disarming the person and leaving them defenseless. He crowded them up against the wall, sword at their throat. "Who are you? I should kill you where you stand for attacking me." 

The person tilted their head slightly, as if assessing Arthur from under the cloak. "I am here for Emrys. Let me have him and no harm shall come to you." 

The king frowned and pressed his sword a little closer, the voice was male, but before he could do anything else he felt himself being flung through the air and he hit the wall with a sickening crack. His head swam and his vision began to blur. The person knelt in front of him. "Where is Emrys?" 

Arthur began to feel a pressure on his neck, he saw the faint swirl of red under the cloak and managed to choke out, "Magic." Before the pressure began to build. He gasped in each breath and reached out to his side, trying to reach his sword that had fallen a little way to his side. The sorcerer was too intent on watching Arthur's struggle for breath to notice when his fingers finally found the hilt. He took in one more breath before using the last of his energy to swing the sword up and through the sorcerer. 

The man cried out and fell forward, the spell released as soon as the man's heart stopped beating. Arthur let go of the sword and let his body slump against the wall, his throat felt bruised as if someone had been physically strangling him. He let himself catch his breath for a second before pushing himself to his feet and using his foot to roll the sorcerer over so he was lying on his back. He didn't get chance to look under the hood, just as he'd reached down the chamber door opened and Merlin stood there, tears fresh on his face. 

Arthur quickly gathered Merlin into his arms and turned him away from the sight of the body on the floor. "Merlin I told you to stay put." 

The child began to cry and he furiously wiped at his tears. "It was dark and mummy said I shouldn't let people see. I was scared." He began to cry harder and Arthur tried his best to calm him, moving a little closer to the lit torch on the wall outside his chambers. Almost instinctively, Arthur began to smooth the back of Merlin's head and tried his best to calm him down. It didn't take long for Merlin to cry himself out and promptly fall asleep. The King sighed and looked down at the sorcerer, he knew they had to have been the one to put this spell on Merlin. But who was Emrys? And what did Merlin have to do with it? 

He shifted Merlin in his arms a little and went back into his chambers, he gently placed Merlin down onto his bed and pulled the cover over him, Merlin snuggled into the sheets and let out a yawn before settling back into sleep again. He picked up the few candles he could find and lit them on the torch outside before placing them close to his bed, allowing Merlin a little more light. Arthur sank down onto the edge of the bed and held his head in his hands. He knew he should go and find guards, find Gaius, Gaius always knew what to do, but he felt so tired. Before he knew it, his head was hitting the pillow and his eyes were pulled shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is short again, i stuggled which way to go, whether to have it a knight or the sorcerer but this one wrote easier for me  
> hope you liked it! ^^
> 
> sorry for the late update, i went through a rough patch but i'm getting back to some sort of good place again so hopefully my writing will pick up with it
> 
> once again, thank you to everyone who's read, left kudos, commented - it really means a lot to me to see people enjoying my writing ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur woke to the sound of giggling near his ear, he groaned and turned over, his eyes slowly peeling open. A small face smiled down at him, gently patting his chest. "Rise and shine." The king started at the familiar phrase and shot up in bed, almost toppling the child off the side. He quickly reached out and balanced the child before really thinking about what had happened. Only then did it hit him. The sorcerer still dead outside of his chambers. He scrambled from his bed and motioned for Merlin to stay where he was.

The king pulled open the door to his chambers only to find the sorcerer gone and the guards in their place as if nothing had happened. He stepped out and the guards glanced over at him. "Is all well, Sire?" Arthur opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. His eyes searched the ground for any signs of blood, or just signs that the sorcerer had been there at all.

He turned to his guards. "Did anything happen last night? Any disturbances? Anything?"

The guards both shook their heads. "No, Sire. All was quiet. Is everything alright?"

The king nodded and, in a slight daze, walked back into his chambers closing the door firmly behind him. Merlin was still sat in the middle of his bed, the ridiculously large tunic drowning his small frame as he stared at Arthur. "Can I see mummy now?"

Arthur took a deep breath and made his way over to the bed, he sat gently on the edge and looked Merlin over. He regretted killing the sorcerer, they had obviously done this to Merlin and now he had no way of returning him to his proper age. "Do you know where you are, Merlin?" Merlin shook his head and moved a little closer to Arthur. "Then why do you not fear me? I'm a stranger to you."

Merlin blinked up at him and raised a hand to his chest, the sleeve making it impossible to free his hand. "Here. Mummy said trust here." Arthur's eyebrows shot up and without realising he'd begun to raise his own hand to his chest. Merlin smiled and moved the rest of the distance between them to sit himself in Arthur's lap. It seemed child Merlin was very cuddly. The king wrapped his arms around Merlin and absently smoothed his mop of hair, some things really never changed. He sighed as he thought through what to do, it seemed the sorcerer had help and whoever it was had gotten them both away, leaving no one else in the castle aware of what happened.

He scooped Merlin into his arms and paused, he knew how it would look, leaving his chambers with a child but he couldn't keep Merlin shut away, he knew this Merlin would hate that as much as his would. He shifted the child in his arms so Merlin's face was hidden in his shoulder. "We're going to play a game. You can't let anyone see your face or you lose."

Merlin scrunched up his nose. "That sounds boring."

Arthur laughed and gently guided Merlin's head back down. "There's a prize if you win." Merlin instantly perked up and pressed his face into Arthur's shoulder, once again wrapping his small arms around Arthur's neck. "Good boy."

The king hesitated at the door but took a deep breath and held his head up, no one should question him, he was king and he could do as he pleased. Even if that meant carrying a mysterious child through the castle. He had to get to Gaius and try to figure out what to do next.

He received countless stares from servants, guards and knights alike as he made his way through the castle. He knew he could have just sent for Gaius but it would only be a matter of time before word got around that he was hiding a child in his chambers and that would only raise even more suspicion.

He didn't bother knocking as he entered Gaius's chambers, he closed the door and locked it behind him, startling the physician from his seat at his bench. "Sire?" His eyes landed on the child and his eyebrows shot up. Arthur just shook his head and rushed over to take a seat, balancing Merlin across his lap.

"Merlin? You won the game, you can look up now." The child's head shot up quickly, a bright smile on his face. Arthur couldn't help but laugh and looked over to see Gaius staring at the child, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to find the right words. "Something happened last night Gaius." Arthur paused, unsure if he should speak in front of Merlin, Gaius seemed to understand and motioned Merlin over.

With little grace, Merlin clambered from Arthur's lap and followed Gaius up the stairs, struggling a little but insisting he could get up them himself. Once he was inside, Gaius pulled a random book from the pile by Merlin's bed. It was one of his books, something to do with herbs, he just hoped the pictures would keep Merlin occupied for long enough. Gaius shut the door behind him and went to stand over Arthur, his eyebrow raised. "What happened, Sire?"

Arthur rose from the bench and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm unsure. I woke to find Merlin like that in my chambers, he has no memories of anything beyond the age he is now. I..." Arthur paused and knew he'd messed up. "I killed the sorcerer that did this. At least, I think it was him. He must have had help for his body was gone this morning and the guards had no memory of anything at all. It's as if none of it happened except..." Arthur gestured to the closed door and Gaius frowned, sitting down once more.

"You are sure you killed them?"

Arthur nodded and sat opposite the physician. "I have killed enough men to know, Gaius."

The old man merely nodded at that. "Then I should consult my books, see if there is such an enchantment, and hopefully a cure. Are you sure Merlin was not injured in any way?"

Arthur hadn't even thought of that, he rushed from the bench and burst in the room to see Merlin had pulled up a floorboard and was playing with a small wooden dragon, the book Gaius had given him discarded to the side. "Merlin?"

The child look up and what could only be described as squeaked. He dropped the dragon and scrambled to put the wooden plank back in place. "Merlin what is it?"

His servant shook his head and finally having the floorboard back in place, he picked up his dragon and stood to look up at Arthur. "Secret."

Arthur let it slide and knelt down, his hands resting gently on Merlin's arms. "Are you hurt anywhere, Merlin? Did that man hurt you?"

Merlin shook his head and tears began to well in his eyes. "He was a bad man." Arthur ran his hands up and down the small arms, trying to comfort him. "He wanted to hurt..." Merlin trailed off and his brow furrowed as he struggled to remember. "He..." The dragon clattered as it hit the floor and Merlin wiped his tears with his sleeves again. Arthur carefully pulled Merlin's arms from his face and swept the tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

"It's okay, Merlin. As long as he didn't hurt you." Merlin shook his head and Arthur picked up the little dragon, handing it back to the child. "Don't lose this, it seems important to you." To my Merlin, Arthur added in his head. He got to his feet and was surprised when he felt a warmth grip his hand, he looked down to see Merlin gripped the dragon tightly to his chest with one hand and the other holding onto Arthur, the sleeve still covering his small hands. "We need to find you some proper clothes." It was said more to himself but Merlin nodded anyway and let Arthur lead him from the small room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my gosh what's this??
> 
> an update the next day??
> 
> a longer chapter??
> 
> merlin being super cute??
> 
> hope you enjoyed it ^^
> 
> and thank you for reading/commenting/kudos - as always it means a lot to me ^^


	5. Chapter 5

Gaius was waiting almost impatiently by his bench, Arthur shook his head slightly and the physician relaxed a little before going over to his books, pulling numerous tomes from his shelf. Arthur knew there was little he could do until Gaius found something. "Gaius what do I-" 

He broke off as Gaius looked over at him and gave him a knowing look. "Just take care of him, Arthur. It seems he trusts you more than anyone here, more than even me. There will be questions, but I assume you will come up with appropriate answers. I will come to find you when I have found something, Sire." 

Arthur had the distinct feeling he had just been dismissed. A small tug on his hand brought his attention away from the smiling old man and back to the child who stood looking up at him. "I'm hungry." Arthur could only roll his eyes and reach back down to pick up the child. 

"Of course you are. Let's go and see what the kitchens can prepare for you, shall we?" Merlin cheered and as was becoming habit, rested his arms around Arthur's neck as the king strolled through the castle towards the kitchens. He found the constant staring an annoyance but Merlin didn't seem to notice, his shocking blue eyes wide with awe as he took in the surroundings. 

As Arthur reached the kitchens, of course word had already got to them, and the head cook was preparing a small tray of sweet meats and fruits for the child. Arthur entered and there was a brief pause before they all resumed their work, the king sighed and he felt Merlin's breath tickle his neck as he copied Arthur and sighed. "Is this a game to you, Merlin?" The child only laughed and wriggled in his arms to get down. Arthur gave in and the cook picked up the plate and held it out to the child, a kind smile on her usually stern face. 

"Take what you like, little one. You look half starved." Merlin turned to Arthur, almost as if seeking permission, the blonde nodded and came over to crouch beside Merlin. Picking up a piece of thinly sliced apple and held it out for Merlin. Arthur wasn't aware that the kitchen had some to a standstill and all stood to watch their king feed the small child, a fond look on his face. As Arthur picked up the next piece of fruit, Merlin held his mouth open expectantly. "Ahhhh." Arthur laughed and placed another slice of apple in the waiting mouth. Merlin hummed happily as he chewed and grew bolder, grabbing multiple items from the plate. "Not too fast, you'll get a stomach ache." The cook reprimanded gently. 

Arthur guided Merlin over to a corner, out of the way, placing the plate in the child's lap. Arthur left Merlin happily munching away in the corner and went over to the cook. "Thank you." She looked startled but curtsied and Arthur saw the questions brewing in her eyes, but Arthur was grateful when she merely got her staff back to work and said no more on the matter. He knew it would be the subject of gossip but he felt a little better not having been confronted with it. 

He knelt on the ground next to Merlin and the child held out a piece of fruit, his fingers already sticky. "Ahhhh." Arthur laughed and opened his mouth, allowing the child to feed him. Soon the plate was empty and Arthur pulled Merlin back up into his arms, this time Merlin held his hands in the air, the sleeves of his tunic as sticky as his hands. Arthur made a note to try and find him some proper clothes. He turned to leave the kitchen when the cook came up to him holding a small bundle in her hands. "A few treats for him. He's always welcome down here, Sire." Arthur smiled at her kindness and Merlin reached for the bundle but Arthur took it before he could get his grubby hands on it. "Thank you." The cook nodded and rushed back to her work. 

Arthur made his way back to his chambers and stopped a passing maid. "Have a bath brought to my chambers." 

She curtsied. "Of course, Sire." He saw her eyes glance towards Merlin before rushing off to complete his wish. 

After that, Arthur made his way down towards the laundry rooms. Despite being king he did know the ins and outs of the castle, he'd explored almost all of it as a boy. He poked his head round the doorway and spotted Guinevere carrying a basket of clean linens. "Guinevere." She started at looked over to see the king peering around the door. She set her basket down and rushed over. 

"Yes, Sire?" Almost immediately she spotted the child resting on Arthur's hip, small arms still held out. "Sire is that...?" 

"Not now. Do you know where I could find some clothes that would fit him? I can't have him in this tunic all the time." 

Gwen nodded and disappeared back inside for a few moments, returning with a small pile of clothes. "They're for the servant's children, they won't be of the finest quality but it's the best I can do." Arthur took them gratefully, trying to balance the treats and the clothes in one hand, keeping Merlin balanced with the other. "Thank you, Guinevere." 

Arthur turned and had got half way down the corridor when Gwen called to him. "Do you need any help, Sire?" 

The king looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "I'm sure I can manage." Merlin began to fidget in his arms as he carried on down the corridor towards his chambers. The fidgeting only got worse and Arthur paused to look down at the boy. "What is it, Merlin?" 

Blue eyes blinked up at him and he squirmed again, his face pinching, a slight blush on his plump cheeks. "I need to pee." Arthur's eyes widened in panic and he practically ran the rest of the way to his chambers. He threw the door open and sat Merlin down on his chamber pot just in time, relief washed through him as Merlin relieved himself. "Just tell me next time, Merlin. Don't leave it so late." Merlin bowed his head and Arthur turned away, placing the treats on his table, out of Merlin's reach. He unfolded the clothes Gwen had found for him and wondered if even these might be a little big on Merlin's small frame, but they had to be better than what he was in currently. 

As Arthur turned he noticed the bath sitting by the roaring fire, the water still steaming a little. He sighed gratefully and went over to where Merlin was stood by the pot, his head still bowed as if waiting to be scolded. The king placed the clothes on the end of his bed and sat on his knees in front of Merlin. "You aren't in trouble, Merlin. Just give me more warning next time, okay?" Merlin's head shot up and he nodded vigorously. Arthur was only glad the child hadn't ended up peeing on him, he may not have been so forgiving. "Let's get this rag off of you and get you in the bath, shall we?" 

Merlin's eyes widened and he looked over at the tub. "Bath?" Arthur slowly nodded and reached out to lift the now dirty tunic off the boy. He pushed any discomfort to the back of his mind, he couldn't let anyone else near Merlin when he was in such a vulnerable state, Arthur had to be the one to take care of him. Just as he'd pulled the tunic over Merlin's head the child ran off giggling. "Merlin!" Arthur got to his feet and chased the child around his chambers. How was such a small child so fast? Arthur stopped as Merlin stood by the tub, peering over the edge into the water as if it was his first time seeing a bath. He reached a small hand into the water and Arthur took advantage of the moment. He snuck forwards and grabbed Merlin under the armpits, causing the child to squeal and wriggle in delight as he swung him in the air a few times before gently lowering him into the now slightly cooled water. 

The water was a little deeper than Arthur anticipated and it reached Merlin's neck, but he didn't seem to mind, he was happy splashing about in the water and laughing at his own antics. It occurred to Arthur then that coming from a poor, farming village Merlin had probably never had a bath. Even staying in Gaius's chambers he'd only had a wash basin. This was Merlin's first proper bath. Arthur reached for the soap and wash cloth, he held it in front of him as Merlin continued to splash, not quite sure how to go about washing the child when Merlin turned round to face him, a brilliant smile on his face. 

Arthur couldn't help the small smile on his lips. "Come on, Merlin. You need to wash." The child stopped playing and looked up at the soap and cloth, distrust in his eyes. 

"No." 

"Merlin you're all sticky, you need to wash." 

Merlin folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "No." 

Arthur couldn't help but find it utterly adorable, but he had to get Merlin clean. He turned his voice a little stern and held out the soap and cloth to the child. "Merlin. You're a big boy, big boys have to wash." 

The boy only pouted more if that was possible and reluctantly unfolded his arms. "I don't want to." Arthur was about to reply when Merlin reluctantly took the soap and cloth. "Mummy says the same. I am a big boy, but I don't want to wash." He sat there, his hands falling into the water as he stared down at the soap and cloth petulantly. He heaved a big sigh as if washing was the worst thing in the world before slapping the cloth onto his shoulder and wiping twice before holding it out to Arthur. "Done." 

Arthur bit back a smile and took the cloth from Merlin. "I don't think that counts as washing." Merlin threw the soap out the bath and it slid across the stone floor. Arthur felt a slight spark of annoyance then. "Merlin you will do as I say and wash properly or you can sit in this bath until the water goes cold and not get any treats." 

Merlin looked up at him horrified and scrambled to his feet, holding onto the edge of the bath, reaching out his arm as if he could reach the soap. "I'll wash! I'll wash!" Arthur nodded and was about to turn and retrieve the soap when it flew past his ear and into Merlin's waiting hand. Arthur looked just in time to see the gold disappearing from Merlin's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN


	6. Chapter 6

Arthur froze and watched with mixed feelings as Merlin took the cloth from Arthur's now limp hand and began to wash properly, seemingly oblivious to what he had just done. 

"Merlin, what was that?" 

The child stopped and blinked up at Arthur, realisation dawned on his face and he began to shake his head. "Don't tell mummy! Please, she'll be angry. She said people can't see. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Arthur found it difficult to swallow as he slowly reached forward and petted Merlin's damp hair. 

"I won't say anything. Finish your bath." Arthur rose to his feet and went to lean against his bed post. Merlin had magic? He found himself conflicted. This was a child, hardly old enough to turn into the evil his father had claimed all sorcerers were. How had he learnt magic at such a young age? Why hadn't he told Arthur? Did he not trust him? Questions swirled in Arthur's mind and he was brought from his thoughts by a loud knocking on his door. He glanced down at Merlin who was slowly washing his arm, his head once again bowed. 

Arthur opened the door to see the maid he'd asked to draw his bath stood there with towels in her arms. "I'm sorry, Sire. Your towels." Arthur nodded, took the towels and shut the door without a word. He saw Merlin climbing to his feet and stood there shivering slightly, the water must have gone cold by now. Arthur took pity and laid a towel on the ground, leaving one over his shoulder to wrap Merlin up in once he was out the bath. Arthur reached down and lifted Merlin from the bath, placing him on the towel, gently covering him with the other as he patted Merlin down, trying not to hurt him. 

He was angry with his manservant for not telling him, but the more he thought about it the more Arthur couldn't bring himself to feel any hatred towards the man. He had never given Merlin any reason to trust him with this secret, he'd never expressed any positive views towards magic and he regretted it now. Merlin couldn't be evil. Looking at the child now, Arthur knew in his gut that his Merlin was not bad. He couldn't be. 

He gave Merlin's hair a ruffle and went to gather the clothes. He helped the child dress with some difficulty, not used to playing the role of a servant, he almost laughed how their roles had reversed. He noticed Gwen hadn't failed to find a small pair of shoes that were tucked neatly between the trousers and tunic. He pulled Merlin down into his lap so the small back was pressed to his chest and slipped the shoes over Merlin's little feet. "There. All clean and dressed." Arthur couldn't help but press a small kiss to the crown of Merlin's head. "I promise not to tell anyone your secret. Just be careful." 

Merlin tilted his had back to look up at Arthur and grinned before clambering to his feet and standing in front of Arthur, wringing his hands together. "I was a good boy. I washed and dressed." Arthur raised his eyebrow in a poor imitation of Gaius, he knew where this was heading but he waited for Merlin to ask. "You said I could have treats if I was good." 

Arthur pretended to consider his words and Merlin looked at him with the most imploring, puppy eyes that he couldn't help but give in. "I did say that didn't I. Just one, you've already had plenty today." Merlin cheered and followed Arthur over to the table, watching with glee as Arthur pulled a small bunch of grapes from the bag. "Eat them slowly, you won't be getting any more today." Merlin nodded eagerly and pulled a grape from the bunch, plopping it into his mouth and running to sit by the fire. 

Arthur was about to join him when there was another knock on the door. He opened it to see his knights gathered outside his chambers. "Sire, this is a delicate matter." Arthur knew they were here about the child and Arthur only sighed, he knew he could trust his knights so he let them into the room. Gwaine, Leon, Percival an Elyan filed inside and stopped with they saw Merlin huddled by the fire, eating the last grape. 

Merlin turned to see the knights staring at him and froze, his eyes frantically searched for Arthur and spotted him over by the door. Merlin scrambled to his feet and ran over, raising his arms to be picked up. Arthur saw the fear in his friend's eyes and quickly obliged, holding Merlin close to him. "Is this the delicate matter you were referring to, Sir Leon?" 

The knight bowed his head and no one spoke for a moment before Merlin whispered in Arthur's ear. "Who are they?" Merlin looked over his shoulder at the four men and when he saw them looking back he turned and hid in Arthur's shoulder. "I don't like them." 

Arthur was surprised, Merlin hadn't shown dislike towards anyone so far and for it to be the knights whom he knew Merlin was close with was a shock. "These are friends. They're good people." 

Merlin shook his head and clung to Arthur. "Bad people." 

Arthur shifted Merlin in his arms and with his free arm he smoothed Merlin's back. "These are my friends, they won't hurt you. I promise." Merlin only shook his head and Arthur felt him begin to tremble. 

"Mummy said red is bad. They want to take me away." 

There was a stunned silence, the knights took a step back and Arthur looked over at them, unsure of what to do. "What do you mean?" 

"Mummy said they came. They did bad things. She said to hide from them." Arthur couldn't help but tighten his hold on the boy, almost protectively. 

"Merlin look at me." The knights gasped and exchanged glances but remained quiet. "Merlin." Arthur coaxed the boy to look up at him and he smoothed away the few tears that had gathered. "These are my men and my friends. I promise you they mean you no harm. The men your mother spoke of, they are not these men. You can trust them." 

Merlin glanced over at the knights, the men who were once his friends and sniffed. He squeezed his little hands into fists before looking down at them, his eyes widening. "Dragon!" He patted his clothes down and looked up at Arthur desperately. "Dragon." Understanding dawned and Merlin wriggled to get free, Arthur let him down and the boy began to run around the room searching for his toy dragon. "He's gone." His despairing wail was followed by another frantic run around the chambers. Arthur called his knights over and Merlin ran back over to stand behind Arthur's legs. "How about we send these knights to rescue your dragon?" Merlin frowned and gripped Arthur's trousers. "They are experts. They will find it for you." 

Merlin took a small step from behind Arthur and pointed at Gwaine. "Find Dragon." Gwaine laughed and bowed to Merlin. 

"We will all set out on a quest to find Dragon." Merlin studied Gwaine and nodded once, reaching up to hold Arthur's hand. "You have some explaining to do, Princess." 

Arthur rolled his eyes and moved away from the door to let the knights out. "Just find him his dragon then we'll talk. It goes without saying that no one is to know this is Merlin." The knights all nodded before leaving. "Oh and Gwaine?" The knight poked his head back in the door. "Try the kitchens." Gwaine grinned and left at a run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, Arthur took that well, though no doubt Merlin will get a telling off when he's back to his normal self
> 
> I honestly cannot thank you all enough, it has been such an incredible response to my story and i'm so glad you all like it, i honestly didn't expect such a positive response to this
> 
> thank you to everyone who has commented/left kudos, it means a lot to me that you're enjoying it ^^
> 
> there are a few more chapters left to go! hopefully you'll enjoy those just as much


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur took Merlin over to the bed and left him to curl up in the sheets, a yawn escaping as he snuggled in. "Have a nap, Merlin. When you wake I'm sure you'll have Dragon back." Merlin reached out to Arthur and Arthur let him hold his hand until he fell asleep. 

Soft snores filled the chambers as Arthur sat down to get some paperwork done. He'd gotten a decent way through when Gwaine burst into his chambers holding up the dragon proudly. "Found the little devil hiding in the corner of the kitchen. Caused quite a stir." Arthur only rolled his eyes and pointed towards the bed where Merlin had starfished in his sleep. 

"Find the others and bring them back here. We need to talk." Gwaine nodded and left the dragon on his desk before leaving to find Leon, Percival and Elyan. They returned not long after and closed the door behind them, gathering at Arthur's desk. The king leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm afraid I can't give much of an explanation other than a sorcerer somehow got into my chambers last night." The knights were all about to speak but Arthur held up his hand. "Merlin, the idiot, was trying to protect me and ended up turned back to his child self. I have Gaius working on finding a way to turn him back and until then all we can do is make sure he stays safe." Arthur looked over at the small form and rose from his chair. "I will need to attend council meetings, I need him to trust you so that you can look after him when I can't." 

Gwaine picked up the little dragon and wiggled it a little in the air. "He will trust me once I give him this." Arthur laughed and was about to reply when Merlin began to snuffle. His little brow creased and he began to cry out. 

Arthur ran over to the bed and tried to sooth him, as Arthur reached out to smooth the hair from his forehead, Merlin's eyes opened and flared gold. The fire roared and all the candles lit themselves around the room. The knights pulled out their swords but Arthur shook his head, pulling Merlin into his arms. "Merlin? Merlin shh, it's okay. I've got you." Merlin's cries calmed down as he woke from his nightmare. He cuddled closer to Arthur and wiped his snotty nose on Arthur's shirt. 

"They hurt you." 

Arthur frowned and pushed Merlin away a little to look at him, ignoring his slight annoyance at the snot stain on his shirt. "Who hurt me?" 

"Bad people. I told them to stop but they hurt you." 

Arthur glanced over at his knights and saw Leon was the only one still slightly on edge. "They can't hurt me, Merlin. I have my knights to protect me." Merlin followed Arthur's gaze and then his eyes landed on the dragon still held in Gwaine's hand. His nightmare promptly forgotten, Merlin sprang from the bed and ran at Gwaine. "Dragon!"   
Gwaine knelt down and held the little wooden toy out. "I found him for you, he was down in the kitchens guarding the maids there. He's a brave lilttle thing." Gwaine ruffled Merlin's hair as he took the toy and held it close to his chest. "Just like you, you're a brave boy aren't you? Standing up to the bad men in your dream." 

Merlin puffed out his chest and nodded. "I'm brave. I have Dragon." Gwaine laughed and ruffled his hair again before rising to his feet. 

"I think we have all the explanation we need now, Princess." Arthur grimaced at the old nickname but nodded. "Don't worry, we will keep him safe." Arthur saw the double meaning and looked at each knight in turn, they all nodded in agreement, even Leon after a brief hesitation. Arthur couldn't help but feel proud of his knights, his closest friends. 

"Thank you. Truly." Gwaine clapped him on the shoulder and smiled, nothing more needed saying. 

Merlin ran over to Arthur and tugged on his sleeve. "He gets a treat, right? He found Dragon." Arthur snorted but allowed Merlin to drag him over to the table and Arthur handed him the bag which he took over to Gwaine, holding it up. "Have one." Gwaine looked into the bag and saw the sticky mess the fruits had turned into, Arthur looked at him expectantly, humour in his eyes. Merlin shook the bag and waited. Gwaine reached in and picked out a piece of fruit but he couldn't tell what it was. Merlin beamed and decided all the knights deserved a treat, holding out the bag to each of them. Merlin had just held up the bag for Arthur when Gaius ran into the room, slightly out of breath. 

"Gaius?" 

"Forgive me, Sire, but I believe I have found something." Arthur absently lifted Merlin into his arms and batted away the bag Merlin held out for him. 

"What is it, Gaius?" 

The old man eyed the knights but came further into the room, slamming an old book on to the table. He pointed to a page and waved Arthur over. "I believe this to be the spell used. It has no way to reverse it unless the one that cast it wishes it." Arthur's hopes fell but Gaius carried on talking, Merlin slowly getting sticky again as he took advantage of having the treats in hand. "However, it says that the spell will only last as many days as the person aged years. So I believe Merlin has 23 days stuck as a child." 

Arthur once again waved away an offering from Merlin and focused on Gaius. "So it's nothing permanent? He will change back on his own?" 

"I believe so, Sire, I cannot be sure but this is the closest I have found. Signs of his old self still come through, he still trusts us, he doesn't fear being in a place he shouldn't know. I believe he will be alright. We just have to wait it out." 

Arthur couldn't help but sag a little at the relief that flooded through him. He was glad that his Merlin would be returning to him, this did however leave one problem. 23 days left looking after a child and making sure he didn't get into any trouble. Arthur suddenly felt very tired and looked over at his knights, Gwaine just smirked and he could see the others all looking relieved at the news. 

Later that night, Arthur tucked Merlin into bed and briefly wondered if he should get his friend his own bed but quickly dismissed the idea. He would rather have Merlin there where he could keep an eye on him. Arthur was just changing into his night clothes behind the screen when he heard Merlin talking to himself. Arthur looked around the screen to see Merlin sat up in bed holding the dragon out in front of him, seemingly having a very serious conversation with it. Arthur smiled and finished getting changed before climbing into bed next to his friend. "What does Dragon have to say?" 

Merlin held it out to Arthur and looked at him expectantly. "He wants a goodnight kiss." The king frowned and pushed the toy away. 

"You give him one then." 

Merlin pouted and held out the dragon again. "He wants a kiss from you. Mummy always gives goodnight kisses." 

That’s when Arthur realised it wasn't really the dragon Merlin was talking about. He sighed and placed a small kiss on the dragon before taking it from Merlin and placing it on the stand beside his bed, he tucked Merlin in and lay down beside him. Merlin was still pouting and Arthur couldn't help but lean forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Good night, Merlin." 

"Good night, Arfur." 

The king was about to settle back into his pillow when he paused. He hadn't told Merlin his name, no one had called him Arthur around him so how did he know? He thought back to what Gaius had been saying, some of the old Merlin was still there, it wasn't so far fetched that he knew Arthur's name. Arthur had just got comfortable on his back when he felt a small weight on his arm, he looked down to see Merlin had moved over and curled himself around Arthur's side. The blonde couldn't help but reach over and smooth the raven hair a few times before succumbing to sleep himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise some of you were hoping to see the "quest" for the dragon, i may put this into a series and do extra chapters, so as i go through the story if there are any missing scenes that you would like to see then let me know and i'll add them into the next part of the series as extras ^^
> 
> once again thank you for reading/commenting/leaving kudos, it's really lovely to see you all enjoying my writing ^^


	8. Chapter 8

A week passed since the incident and while Arthur had sent knights out to search for the sorcerer they had yielded no results and Arthur was beginning to think it was pointless looking for him or his accomplice, but he didn't want to give up, not when there were people out there that could be a danger to Merlin. 

Merlin hadn't asked to see his mother since that first morning and Arthur was reluctant to bring her up again. The boy seemed to settle into the routine of spending mornings with Arthur and then the afternoon with whichever of the four knights was available too look after him while Arthur attended his duties. He had trusted the training to Leon in order to free up his mornings. He sat with Merlin in front of the fire, furs spread to keep the chill of the stone floor from them, lunch spread out on platters before them. "Eat up, Merlin. I have more meetings to attend after this." Merlin chewed happily on some bread and honey while Arthur watched on fondly. 

He would never admit it to anyone but he enjoyed having Merlin as a child, not that he didn't miss his Merlin, he missed him terribly, but having Merlin to look after and spend time with was nice. He never had peaceful moments like this with his manservant and he made a vow to change that once he returned. Arthur uncurled his legs and stretched them out in front of him, watching as Merlin observed his movements and did the same, resting back on his hands. He noticed Arthur watching him and grinned, bits of chewed bread falling from his mouth. Arthur laughed and wiped the mess from his mouth. "Chew your food properly, Merlin." 

The door to his chambers opened and Gwaine waltzed in, carrying two small, wooden swords. "I believe it's time for your meetings, Sire." Merlin caught sight of the swords and stuffed the rest of the bread in to his mouth before rushing over and grabbing one from Gwaine's hand. "Merlin!" The child stopped, his cheeks puffed out with bread and looked guiltily over at Arthur. "You do not snatch things, you ask for them." 

Merlin quickly chewed the rest of his food and lifted the sword a little. "Can I have this?" 

Gwaine smiled indulgingly and ruffled Merlin's hair, a habit he'd picked up recently. "Of course, little man." Merlin looked over at Arthur, watching as the king got to his feet. "Don't worry, Princess. Elyan and Percival are joining me today. We're taking him down to the training grounds." There was a slight hesitance in his speech as if he was waiting for Arthur to refuse. 

Arthur wanted to, he wanted to keep Merlin in his chambers where he knew he would be safe, but the overjoyed look on Merlin's face put a stop to Arthur's protests. "Just be careful and do not let him out of your sight." For once Gwaine was serious when he nodded and reached for Merlin's hand. 

~

Arthur was just wrapping up the most boring meeting to date when the doors burst open and a guard ran in, panic on his face. "Forgive my intrusion, Sire." Arthur nodded and waved for him to continue. "It's your knights, Sire. Come quickly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bit of a shorter chapter this time i'm afraid, but the next one will be longer!
> 
> hope you enjoyed it ^^
> 
> and again thank you so much to all my lovely readers!!! it's really keeping me going with this little fic


	9. Chapter 9

Panic flared in Arthur's chest as he exchanged a quick look with Leon before racing out to the training ground where he knew they would be. A crowd had formed and Arthur pushed his way through to see Gaius kneeling on the grass beside his three unconscious knights. "Gaius what happened?" The physician shook his head. 

"I'm not sure, Sire. They reported that the three just fell to the ground, no clear cause except-" 

"Sorcery." 

Gaius nodded grimly and Arthur looked around, fear in his chest. "Gaius where is he?" 

The physician looked up with wide eyes and Arthur leapt to his feet. "Merlin! Merlin where are you?" Arthur heard a faint cry coming from the woods closest to the training area. "Merlin!" 

"Sire." Arthur turned to Leon just in time to see him throw a sword towards him, Arthur caught it and together they raced into the woods. 

Merlin didn't know what was happening. He'd been playing knights with his friends when suddenly they fell to the ground. He shouted for help but suddenly hands were pulling him away, wrapping around his mouth so he couldn't make a sound. He struggled but he was too small to fight the man pulling him into the woods. He fought and kicked and the man grunted when Merlin managed to hit him, loosening his grip enough for Merlin to wriggle free and run. He had lost track of which way to go but still he ran. 

He hadn't got very far when the man once again lifted him from the ground, his hold was rough and it hurt, nothing like when Arthur would pick him up gently. He cried and shouted for Arthur, Arthur would save him. He shouted as loudly as he could and before the man could take him any further away two men crashed through the woods and Merlin cried even harder as he saw Arthur, reaching out his arms to the man. 

Arthur followed the sounds of Merlin crying and came to a stop when he saw Merlin being held by the sorcerer. Arthur held out his sword and pointed it towards them. "Let him go." 

The sorcerer laughed, his face hidden under his hood. "You think you can stop me, little king? Emrys will be ours." Arthur glanced down at Merlin and saw he was still struggling and reaching out for Arthur. "You couldn't possibly understand, Pendragon. The prophecy was a lie, you are as bigoted as your father. You have done nothing to help our kind." The man stood up straighter and shook Merlin violently in an attempt to still him. "Well now we will take matters into our own hands. We have Emrys as a child, we can shape him how we like. Teach him to hate anything Pendragon." 

Arthur took a step forward. "You are doing nothing to help your cause. I have not once been given reason to trust magic. My whole life all I've known are attacks from sorcerers because of my father, not once did any of you consider me to be different to my father. How am I supposed to know and understand magic if all I see of it is violence and hatred?" 

The sorcerer paused at his words but shook his head. "You are a Pendragon, nothing good will ever come as long as your are on the throne." 

Arthur took another step but suddenly found himself flying back through the air, a sense of déjà vu hit him as he landed in a heap on the ground, the sound of another body hitting the ground told him Leon had been hit too. 

Merlin watched in horror was Arthur was thrown through the air, he didn't move as he hit the floor and fear spiked through the child. He screamed and his eyes flashed gold, the man holding him flung backwards, losing his grip on the boy. He hit the tree with a crack and didn't move again. Merlin crawled towards Arthur and sat by his head, smoothing his hair like Arthur had done for him many times. 

Arthur must have briefly blacked out, when he woke it was to a small hand softly petting his hair. He groaned and blinked his eyes open, he looked up to see Merlin sitting on the ground next to him, crying. "Merlin?" The boy gripped Arthur's hair and he winced slightly before lifting a hand to gently untangle Merlin's fingers from his hair. "Merlin are you okay?" A small nod was all he got before Merlin dived on him, sobbing. Arthur took a deep breath and sat up, holding Merlin firmly to his chest. "It's alright now." Arthur raised his eyes to look around and noticed the still figure of the man slumped at the bottom of a tree. He gasped and looked down at Merlin. He'd killed the sorcerer. Arthur pulled Merlin closer and couldn't help the small sob that escaped his lips. 

Merlin was just a child, too innocent to realise what he had done and because of Arthur he'd had to kill a man. If he'd had quicker reactions, if he hadn't let Merlin out of his sight. He began to wonder how many times Merlin had saved his life, how many times Merlin hadn't been hiding because he was scared of the bandits but because he didn't want anyone to see him using magic. Arthur began to cry more as he realised just how much Merlin had risked just to stay by his side. The child Merlin in his arms reached up out of Arthur's tight grip and began to wipe away the tears, just as the blonde had done for him. "Don't be scared, Arfur. The bad man is gone now. I sent him away." 

This just made Arthur want to cry even more, he took the small hands in his and nodded, trying for a smile. "I know, Merlin. Thank you." The boy looked over at Leon, still unconscious on the ground. "He will be fine, Merlin."


	10. Chapter 10

In Arthur's chambers that evening, Merlin lay asleep in bed, his wooden dragon laying on the pillow beside him. The knights had woken up not long after Arthur had returned from the woods, he was angry with them but couldn't fully blame them, they had no way of defending themselves against that kind of attack. That was what bothered Arthur. He may have the finest knights but with little to no defense against magic how was he to prevent something like this happening again. He needed Merlin back, Merlin would be able to help with his magic, teach and train them to defend against such attacks. 

He sighed in frustration just as there was a tentative knock on the door. He looked over to check it hadn't woken Merlin before going to open his door. Gwen was stood there, a nervous look on her face. "Guinevere?" 

The serving girl twisted her hands in front of her. "Sire. I have something I wish to ask you. Well, it's not just me, everyone's talking about it." Arthur folded his arms across his chest, leaning on the wall by the door, waiting for Gwen to get to the point. "The child, Sire. There are many rumours about the child. Is he...is he Merlin's?" The prince couldn't help raising his eyebrows at that, but still he remained silent. "They think...well...we all think that maybe Merlin has gone to find the child's mother, he disappeared when the child arrived and the boy looks so much like Merlin and-" 

Arthur broke her off, holding his hand up to silence her. "Guinevere, I'm surprised you listen to or believe the kitchen gossip." Gwen opened her mouth to reply but Arthur spoke before she could get a word in. "I realise you are a close friend to Merlin but if this was something he wanted you to know I'm sure he would have confided in you." 

Gwen looked a little shocked but quickly nodded in agreement. "Yes. I'm sure you are right, Sire. I did not mean to pry, I'm just concerned about Merlin, if he has gone off on his own." 

Arthur couldn't suppress a chuckle and smiled kindly. "I'm sure he can look after himself, he's stronger than he looks. Good night, Guinevere." 

"Good night, Sire." She bowed quickly and left, Arthur didn't miss the sound of whispering as soon as she'd turned the corner. He sighed and closed the door quietly, turning to see Merlin was still soundly asleep, the sheets held lightly in his little hands. The prince leaned against the door for a moment before going to move a candle next to his bed, making sure Merlin had some light. He'd made the mistake of forgetting a candle before and Merlin had woken from a nightmare in pitch darkness, causing his magic to flare even more, almost catching the hangings around Arthur's bed on fire. The prince had since learned Merlin was much less likely to panic if there was light in the room. 

As he placed the candle on the stand by his bed, Merlin stirred a little in his sleep, smacking his lips as if dreaming about his fruits and sweet meats. Arthur smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, reaching over to smooth the hair from Merlin's forehead, he couldn't help the wave of affection for his friend. He wondered if Merlin would remember any of this when he was back to normal, Arthur would be mortified that his servant had seen him so caring, but at the same time it would be a relief for them both to know Arthur knew and accepted the magic. Arthur would still be angry, still have a few words with his friend, but he would make sure Merlin knew it wasn't the magic. It was the lies, and the sheer stupidity of coming to Camelot in the first place. What kind of idiot comes to Camelot knowing he would be killed just for his mere existence? It made no sense to Arthur and he would make sure to get answers. 

Merlin moved again and reached up to take Arthur's hand, holding it firmly in his. The prince looked down at their hands and couldn't help but marvel at the difference. This Merlin had tiny hands, the fingers were still thinner than most. Nothing like his Merlin's long, slender fingers, almost delicate to the touch. He ran his fingers over the small hand and wished some day he could have children of his own, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but having Merlin as a child had brought out his own fathering side, the softer side of him. He knew he would need children, an heir to the throne, but never had he felt quite like this. He felt like he was ready for his own, ready to take on the responsibility of caring for another, nurturing them and bringing them up as he never had been. 

The prince thought about bringing up his own family and it brought him to other thoughts. Who would he share the joy with? Who would provide him with such a loving family? 

Arthur paused, his hands tightening over the small one in his. He stared down at Merlin and his heart faltered. No. No. He turned away and looked down at the sheets, suddenly finding it a little hard to breathe. He did not have...feelings...for his friend. They were close, closer than master and servant had any right to be but that didn't make it...more. That didn't mean his feelings went any deeper than friendship. Arthur needed a Queen, a woman to provide him with an heir. Not Merlin. Merlin was a man, he couldn't give him the family he wanted and yet, Arthur couldn't imagine a family without Merlin. There was no family without Merlin. The man was such and integral part of his life that Arthur couldn't imagine a life without him. Not for one second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i couldn't leave a note on the last chapter! i had to post it in a rush before i left for work haha
> 
> but thank you so, so much to everyone who has read/commeted/left kudos i'm so grateful to you all ^^
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a bit of an insight into Arthur's feelings


	11. Chapter 11

The following morning, the sun had barely touched the horizon when a loud bang in his chambers woke the king with a start. He shot up in bed and spotted Merlin by his desk, sprawled on the floor by the toppled chair and spilled ink pot. Merlin's chin began to wobble but Arthur quickly jumped from the bed and ran over to the child, pulling him away from the mess before the ink could spill on his clothes. "Merlin what on earth are you doing?" 

"I wanted to draw a picture." He looked down at his ink stained hands and sighed, Arthur looked over at the desk and noticed pages of parchment full of scribbles and stick figures. Arthur balanced Merlin on one hip and, avoiding the ink, he moved closer to the desk to get a proper look at the drawings. "What's this one of?" Arthur picked up the top page and saw two figures, one smaller and one larger, holding hands with a little blob at the bottom. 

Merlin pointed to the picture. "Me, you and Dragon." 

Arthur made a noise before putting the picture down, it really was rather sweet. "Why are you up so early, Merlin?" 

The child slumped a little and placed his head on Arthur's shoulder. "I had a bad dream again." 

Arthur held Merlin a little closer and sat down on the chair at his desk, arranging Merlin in his lap. "What happened?" 

Merlin shrugged and reached over for his drawings, leaving inky finger prints over the parchment. "I drew it." 

Arthur took the pages handed to him and saw what he could only assume was Merlin, on the floor surrounded by other children. "Merlin what does this mean?" 

The king saw Merlin wanted to cry again and put the drawing down to try and sooth him. "They don't like me. They call me bad things. Mummy says to ignore them but they don't go away like she said." 

Arthur sat in shock for a moment. "They hurt you?" 

Merlin screwed up his face and nodded, his little hands hitting different parts of his body. "They throw stones at me sometimes. Mummy shooed them away though. They didn't even say sorry, mummy says you should always say sorry when you do something bad." Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing, how long had Merlin had to suffer in Ealdor? How long had they alienated and tormented him for something that was out of his control? Arthur shifted Merlin in his lap and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. 

"They can't hurt you here, Merlin. You have Dragon and my knights to protect you." 

Merlin looked up at him and smiled. "And you." 

Arthur laughed and nodded. "And me." 

A loud rumbling filled the chambers and the king looked down at Merlin. "Are you hungry?" The child nodded and began to bounce excitedly in his lap. "I'll call a maid to bring you some breakfast." Merlin cheered and jumped down, forgetting the ink on the floor and running right through it, leaving footprints in his wake. 

Arthur groaned. "Merlin!" 

They sat in silence as they ate their breakfast, Merlin occasionally humming his appreciation of the food, clearly enjoying every bite. Arthur finally had a whole day free, but he didn't want Merlin to leave his chambers, not after what happened. He had planned to take Merlin into the lower towns, treat him to some of the food there, let him enjoy the street entertainment. The king couldn't risk it, not again. He couldn't lose Merlin. He quickly lost his appetite at the thought of how close he'd come to losing Merlin and pushed his plate away, Merlin didn't notice and carried on eating, swinging his legs happily under the table. 

Arthur called in some servants to clear their breakfast and to have some warm water brought up in order to clean Merlin's feet. Arthur sat Merlin on a chair and had a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. Merlin eyed the bowl suspiciously and Arthur could only sigh, he knew this would not go well. "Merlin we need to wash the ink off your feet." The child suddenly drew his feet up and away from the king. 

"No." 

The king groaned and slumped a little. "Merlin please, don't make this difficult. I can't have you walking around with ink all over your feet." 

The child considered him for a moment before slowly lowering his feet, practically putting them in Arthur's face. The king was surprised and looked up in shock, Merlin was sitting with his adorable pout, arms folded across his chest but he was listening to Arthur. He wasted no time, he didn't want Merlin to suddenly change his mind. However, he hadn't scrubbed the little foot more than twice before Merlin pulled back giggling. 

"It tickles." 

Arthur reached forward and gently pulled his foot back, holding it as firmly as he could before scrubbing once again. Merlin continued to wriggle and laugh but didn't make much of an attempt to get away. Arthur must have hit a particularly ticklish spot because suddenly his face was full of a wet foot and he was knocked backwards. Never would he ever admit to anyone he had been knocked down by a ticklish four-year-old. 

He sat up spluttering and lunged forward, grabbing Merlin by the sides and lifting him from the chair. Merlin squealed and Arthur ran over to his bed, throwing Merlin down onto the soft mattress before reaching forward to tickle the child's sides. Merlin squirmed on the bed, eyes watering as he tried to get away. Though suddenly Arthur found himself falling backwards and hitting the ground with a thud, Merlin sat on his chest, eyes glowing gold. 

He raised his little hands with an evil glint in his eye before getting his revenge on the king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yaaaay an update!!
> 
> thank you all my lovely readers for being so patient and waiting for this chapter, hope it was worth the wait!! more adorable fluffiness x3 
> 
> thank you very much for reading/commenting/kudos - as you know by now it means a lot to me ^^


	12. Chapter 12

Leon paused outside Arthur's chambers at the sound of his laughter. Leon had never heard his king, no...his friend, laugh like that. Never had he sounded so carefree, as if the burdens he usually carried were never there. He listened for a while longer, the sounds of Merlin's laughter joining his, before the knight stepped back and ordered the guards to not let anyone disturb the king. 

The knight made his way back to the armoury where Gwaine and Elyan were waiting and he couldn't help but smile as he told them Arthur would not be joining them for training, for them to pass the word on that they would take a break from training for the day. Gwaine looked at him questioningly but did as he was asked. 

Despite training being cancelled, they decided to stay out on the grounds, sitting down on the grass and enjoying the peace. Percival came over to join them and Gwaine was the first to speak. "Why couldn't princess join us today?" 

Leon sighed. "You know that nickname is redundant, Gwaine. He is king now." Gwaine merely shrugged. "I went to see if he wanted to join us today as he hasn't in a while, but as it is I would not want to interrupt. He was laughing freely and I didn't have the heart to pull him away from that." 

The knights agreed and Gwaine relaxed back onto the grass, putting his arms behind his head. "Place your bets now. How long after Merlin turns back do they-" 

Percival cut him off, slapping his hand over Gwaine's mouth. "No. I am not betting on a friend." 

Gwaine wiggled his eyebrows and soon they were all laughing and enjoying the time they had to relax and be free of their duties for a short time. 

They were startled by the sudden tolling of the warning bell and jumped to their feet, racing towards the castle as quickly as they could. 

Arthur had chased Merlin from the chambers, allowing the child to run through the endless corridors and hallways of Camelot, always keeping a step behind him and an eye on the people around him. It wasn't until Merlin decided he would climb the stairs towards the warning bell that Arthur had tried to stop him but Merlin was having none of it. Arthur pulled him from the first step and he began to wail. He squirmed out of Arthur's grip and raced up the stone steps. "Merlin no!" 

Arthur ran after him but wasn't quick enough to stop Merlin from sounding the bell. "Merlin!" The child looked over at Arthur, a big smile on his face that quickly fell when he saw how angry the king was. "Merlin I expect you to listen to me when I tell you no. Do you understand what this bell means?" The child shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out and wobbling. 

"But...there are bad people." 

Arthur frowned and scooped Merlin up, putting his small body over his shoulder. "This isn't a game, Merlin. You do not come up here under any circumstances. Am I clear?" 

Arthur was just turning the corner to his chambers when his knights raced over to him. "Sire what's going on? Why was the bell sounded?" 

Arthur scowled and gave Merlin a little shake. "This idiot thought it would be fun. Thought it was some sort of game." 

Merlin began to hit and kick at Arthur, shouting to be put down. The king sighed and set Merlin on his feet, crouching in front of him. "Merlin-" 

"No! You listen." Merlin stomped his foot and crossed his arms over his chest. "Bad people are here." Arthur frowned and was about to reply to Merlin when suddenly the castle seemed to shake, the sound of some sort of explosion ringing in their ears. 

Forgetting any anger, Arthur quickly pulled Merlin into his chambers and once again ushered him into the small closet, making him promise to stay put. "I mean it this time, magic yourself a light if you need to but stay here. Do not move unless I come for you." The castle once again shook and Merlin nodded, curling up with one of Arthur's discarded tunics. Arthur hesitated before locking it and taking the key with him, just to make extra sure. 

Arthur raced back in to the hallway, grabbing his sword. There was no time for armour. He ran through the castle, towards the shouts and sounds of fighting. He found a gathering of his knights in the courtyard and a handful of hooded figures facing them. Arthur raced down the steps to stand in front of his men, his most trusted knights crowding behind him. He raised his sword but made no move to attack. 

"The little king arrives. Where is Emrys?" The man stood at the front, Arthur assumed was the leader, tilted his head to the side as if listening. "We do not wish to kill innocents but we will if you do not hand him over to us." 

"I will give you nothing." 

The man laughed and took a step forward. "You have him hidden in this castle. We will find him, little king. It is not our destiny to kill you, we are forbidden from doing so. However, you will forfeit the men's lives that stand behind you if you do not give us Emrys." 

Arthur stood to his full height and let his sword fall to his side. "You will not lay a hand on my men, nor will I hand you Emrys. If he wished to be with you would he not have joined you already?" 

There was a pause then a sudden pitter-patter of feet on stone, Arthur turned to see Merlin running down the steps towards them. The king's eyes widened in shock. "Merlin stay back! Get back inside now." 

The child didn't listen and ran all the way to stand by Arthur, his little hand reaching up to hold Arthur's free one. "Merlin you-" 

Merlin broke him off by stepping forward as if to put himself between Arthur and the men. "You won't hurt my Arfur." 

Every pair of eyes was on the child and the man laughed, throwing his head back, his hood slipping to reveal his face. Merlin's hand gripped Arthur's harder and the king realised Merlin was shaking. "You know him, Merlin?" 

Merlin nodded. "He did bad things." Suddenly Merlin's eyes glowed gold and the men were thrown back, hitting the ground hard, unconscious but not dead. 

Arthur motioned his knights forward to secure the intruders before he knelt in front of Merlin. "Merlin this is the last time I tell you this. You must listen to me. Whatever it is I tell you, do not disobey me." Merlin looked like he wanted to argue but Arthur shook his head. "Disobey me again, Merlin, and I will have no choice but to-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as there were shouts from his men. 

Arthur jumped to his feet, pushing Merlin behind him as his knights froze, their bodies under some kind of spell. "Hand me the child." 

Arthur moved backwards, pushing Merlin back with him. "You will not have him." 

Gold flared in the man's eyes as Arthur felt his body freeze, just like his knights. Arthur tried to fight against the spell on him but it seemed the more he tried the stronger it got until he couldn't even blink. He watched as the sorcerers rushed towards Merlin and grabbed at him, Merlin screamed and cried and fought and Arthur wished for once he would use his magic and fight back, but there was no gold in Merlin's eyes as he was pulled away from Arthur. The king could only watch as his friend was taken from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so...this happened haha
> 
> and what a place to leave it!
> 
> hope you enjoyed and sorry for the slightly slower update with this one!!
> 
> as always thank you so much for reading/commenting/kudos ^^


	13. Chapter 13

As soon as the spell was lifted, Arthur ordered his men to gather horses and ride immediately. Arthur knew it would not be easy, the sorcerers had most likely covered their tracks and he was soon proved right when they lost the trail not far into the woods. Arthur jumped from his horse with a frustrated sigh and knelt by the tracks, trying to work out which general direction they would have gone but there was no way to tell. He turned to his men and ordered them to fan out, cover as much ground as possible. "I want him found by nightfall." 

It took until the sun had started to set for Arthur to notice the little blue orb that had been following them, he didn't know how long it had been there but in their frantic search it must have gone unnoticed. He stopped his horse and looked up at it, as if noticing it had Arthur's attention, the orb floated closer and did a circle around Arthur's head before flying off in the opposite direction. Arthur felt like he had seen the light before, he couldn't place it and dismissed it as his worry for Merlin overpowered everything else. "Follow it!" He didn't know if it was Merlin or the sorcerers leading him into a trap, but all he did know is that there was a chance and that was all he needed. 

Arthur didn't take his eyes off the light and his heart nearly gave out when the light flickered and died, he brought his horse to a stop and looked around frantically until the light returned and once again began to lead them somewhere. Arthur couldn't help but notice the light was a little duller this time. 

The further it took them, the more it flickered and dulled and Arthur just hoped they would find Merlin before the light disappeared. Eventually it began to slow and came to a complete stop, almost transparent now. Arthur's eyes scanned the area but there was nothing there, no signs of Merlin or the sorcerers. He dismounted and went towards the light, raising his hand palm up. The orb slowly sank into his hand and Arthur felt it then, like a pulse through his body. Merlin. This was Merlin's light. He felt the rush of fear and the deep tiredness in his friend, it was almost as if he could hear Merlin calling out for him. 

Arthur held the light in his hand as he began to walk, the light didn't seem to have the energy to float on it's own anymore yet it weighed nothing as he carried it. He felt the light getting warmer and he turned to Leon and Gwaine, motioning them to slow and be careful of their steps. 

He slowly crept forward and the light faded completely but Arthur no longer needed it. There was the camp. Leon and Gwaine didn't need an order this time, they separated and went to different sides of the camp to wait for Arthur's signal. The king searched the camp for any sign of Merlin and saw a small bundle curled by the fire, he looked unharmed and Arthur breathed a small sigh of relief. 

The relief was short-lived as he saw the man he'd assumed to be the leader walk over to Merlin and place his hand over the child's head, Arthur could see his lips moving, speaking some form of enchantment. Arthur didn't even give the signal before all three were charging into the camp. Arthur went straight for Merlin while Gwaine and Leon tried to distract and give him a chance to get Merlin away. 

The sorcerer was taken by surprise and stumbled back before he could finish whatever evil he was doing to Merlin. Arthur swung his sword towards the sorcerer and was glad to see a line of blood across his chest, not a fatal wound but enough to stun and give him the precious seconds he needed to get Merlin away. As soon as Merlin was safe in his arms Arthur turned and fled from the camp, as much as he would have liked to kill every sorcerer for thinking they could take his Merlin from him, he knew he couldn't risk his friend. He knew Leon and Gwaine could take care of themselves. 

Arthur ran, he didn't know how far or for how long, but eventually he had to stop. His lungs burned in his chest and he fell to his knees on the ground, the sky now dark and the pale light of the moon filtered through the trees, allowing him a small amount of light. He cradled Merlin to him and tried to wake the child, gentle taps on his cheeks soon had the large blue eyes blinking up at him. "Merlin? Merlin are you okay?" 

The child frowned at him as confused and blinked a few times. "Where's mummy?" 

Arthur felt panic stir in his chest. "Merlin it's me, Arthur." 

The child shook his head and looked at their surroundings, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Hurts." 

Arthur moved a little so he could set Merlin down and lean him against a tree. "What hurts, Merlin? Where did they hurt you?" 

Merlin reached up to his head and patted it as if that would stop the pain. "Here. My head, they said...they told me..." He trailed off and shook his head, tears now making fresh tracks on his cheeks. 

"What did they do, Merlin?" 

The child studied him once again with confusion and sniffed. "Where's mummy? She can kiss it better." 

Arthur sat back on his heels and looked down at his friend. Had the sorcerers somehow managed to tamper with his memories? Or had he been given a hard blow to the head to knock him out? Arthur ran his hand through his hair and took a few deep breaths to calm the panic that was once again rising inside him. "Did they hurt you too?" Arthur looked down in surprise at Merlin. "Did they hurt your head too? They kept telling me weird things. I don't like them." Merlin reached out to Arthur and placed his small hands on Arthur's thighs, pushing himself up so he was eye-level with the king. 

Arthur held his breath as Merlin gently put his hands on Arthur's head, closing his eyes as if concentrating on something. "Merlin what are you-" Arthur gasped as a warmth filled his head, his whole body. He saw the gold beneath Merlin's eyelids and his body began to relax, a tension he hadn't realised he'd been carrying leaving him. 

The warmth left almost as quickly as it had come and Merlin took his hands from Arthur's head, a pleased smile on his face. "I help mummy with her head sometimes, she tells me not to but when she's asleep I make her better." Arthur smiled kindly and ruffled Merlin's hair. 

"You're a good boy, Merlin." 

Merlin smiled at the praise and moved so he could sit himself in Arthur's lap, cuddling into his chest. "I'm tired." Arthur wasn't sure if it was safe for Merlin to sleep but the decision was made for him when soft snores sounded from the child in his arms. Arthur sighed and shuffled so he could lean against the tree, trying not to jostle Merlin too much. He knew his knights would find him, he couldn't risk going to look for them. 

A chill had started to settle in the air and Arthur pulled Merlin closer, he only wished he had his cloak that he could wrap the small frame in. He felt his own body begin to shiver a little and wondered what was taking Gwaine and Leon so long to find him when they ran through the trees and came to a stop in front of him. "Is he okay?" Gwaine knelt next to Arthur and reached over to pet Merlin's head gently. 

"I think the sorcerer may have tried to erase his memory, but we must have interrupted before he could finish. Merlin didn't seem to know who I am." It hurt more than Arthur cared to admit but he knew Gaius would find a solution. He always did. "We need to get him back to Gaius as soon as possible." The knights nodded in agreement and soon they were making their way back to Camelot, Gwaine's jacket wrapped snugly around the still sleeping child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry that this took so long to update, i've been on and off ill for the past month and have found it really difficult to get any writing done  
> i'm not so pleased with this chapter, i feel like it kind of brushes off the whole kidnapping thing but i couldn't really decide where to go with it so i hope this is okay for you! please do let me know, if there was a different direction you think i could have taken this or if you think it moved a little too fast let me know that too (i feel like it was a little fast but i was honestly so stuck with this chapter) ~ also any mistakes feel free to point them out!
> 
> thank you so much to everyone who has read/commented/kudos! it really does keep me going with this, and thank you for sticking with it despite my more sporadic updates lately


	14. Chapter 14

Arthur waited anxiously as Gaius examined the still unconscious Merlin. The old man stood away from the bed and sighed. "There isn't much I can say until Merlin wakes up, Sire. Physically he appears unharmed, but I cannot know the extent of his memory loss until he is awake. I am afraid we will have to wait." 

The King nodded and sat on the bed beside his friend with a sigh. "Thank you, Gaius. I will send for you when he wakes." Gaius bowed and turned to leave the King's chambers, closing the door quietly behind him. 

It was late into the night when Merlin woke, Arthur was sitting by the fire, staring into the flames when he felt a tentative touch on his arm. Merlin was standing beside him, his eyes shining with tears. "Arfur...." His bottom lip wobbled and Arthur quickly scooped the child up into his lap. 

"Merlin? You remember me?" 

Merlin nodded and huddled closer, burying his face in Arthur's chest. The king relaxed a little and let his chin rest on Merlin's head. "Do you remember everything else that happened?" He felt a small nod. "Good. That's good." Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and sat with Merlin curled in his lap until the child began to squirm and the king had no choice but to let him down. Little feet hit the stone floor as Merlin jumped down, he turned so he could lean his arms on Arthur's legs before he spoke. "They want to hurt you, but I said no. My magic won't let them." Arthur placed his hand gently on Merlin's head and smoothed his hair. 

"I know, Merlin. You're so brave. Braver than I ever gave you credit for. I'm sorry." The child just blinked up at him, not really understanding but listening anyway. Arthur leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling with a small smile on his face. "I hope you don't remember any of this when you're back. You'll never let me forget it." Arthur realised with surprise that maybe he didn't want Merlin to forget, maybe it would be better for both of them to have no more secrets. 

"Arfur?" Looking back down, the King realised Merlin was holding out his hand, curled into a small fist. 

"What's that?" 

Merlin just shook his hand and Arthur held out his hand. Merlin opened his fist and out dropped a small flower, the petals slightly crinkled from being held tightly. "I made it for you." Arthur's eyes widened. 

"You made this?" 

Merlin smiled and put his hands on Arthur's arm to study his work. "I always make Mummy feel better with flowers." He prodded at the small, purple petals before closing his eyes and a look of great concentration filled his face. Arthur watched in amazement as the petals turned into a brilliant red. 

"Merlin..." 

The child opened his eyes and nodded, satisfied with his work. "Mummy said red was a bad colour, but you're red and you're not bad." Arthur felt tears prick his eyes and he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the crown of Merlin's head. 

"Thank you, Merlin. I'll treasure it." 

Merlin clambered into Arthur's lap and placed a wet kiss on his cheek, wrapping his arms around Arthur's neck. "Don't cry, Arfur. I can make more flowers." 

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "One is plenty, Merlin." Arthur placed the flower carefully down on the arm of the chair and even in the dim light of his chambers the flower glowed a vivid red. Pendragon red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long, i kind of lost direction with this story  
> this chapter, i will admit, is more of a filler to get me back into it and it's definitely not my best  
> and i realise the events of the previous chapter were kind of brushed over but i honestly didn't know where to go with it  
> so here it is  
> hopefully i can start getting more regular updates done again
> 
> thank you so much for reading! i really appreciate any feedback whether it be kudos or comments or just seeing the hits count go up, it really keeps me trying with this  
>  hopefully see you in the next chapter

**Author's Note:**

> soo.....what did you think??  
> please let me know!!! comments and feedback are really very much appreciated at the moment as i'm still unsure about this idea but i love any de-aged merlin/arthur fics and thought i'd have a go at one myself
> 
> thank you for reading!!  
> i'm also hoping to get my Don't You Dare Forget the Sun fic updated at some point soon, it's taking me a while to get back into that one


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